 |
| Rosemarie Ives: "Elbow Grease Makes a Beautiful Community" |
As former Redmond mayor, 1992-2007, and founder of the Old Firehouse Teen Center, I object to the premature demolition of the Old Firehouse—what is the rush? The public has not seen renderings for the new 13 Million dollar building, nor heard about funding which appropriately should be part of council’s budgetary decisions this fall.
The City administration has failed to give consideration to or share with the public the building’s historic significance—it was the first city hall, first council chambers, first fire station before the teen center, a regionally acclaimed music venue. According to King County Historic Preservation staff, the Firehouse is likely eligible for designation for historic and cultural significance and possibly architectural significance.
Did any of you (Council) know this?
Inside the building, there are priceless artifacts such as the city’s first vault and local newspapers stuffed in the holes of the cinder blocks used in construction, maybe a time capsule and more. This building should be treated with care, not hastily bulldozed.
WA - Christine Himes passed away peacefully in her home in Monroe, Washington on
December 30, 2025. She was born on April 6, 1929 in Washington DC. She was
married to Jack Himes for 46 years. As long-time Eastside residents they raised five
children. She is survived by Craig and wife Barbara, Valerie and husband Ron Bennett,
Donna and husband Dave Bender, Carole and husband Brian Strong; 13 grandchildren
and 18 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her daughter Darlene;
and her brother Georg B. Tennyson.
Christine was an active volunteer for local schools, church and community
events. She served on the Redmond City Council from 1975-1977 and later
served as the first full-time woman mayor from 1980-1984. She is known for
balancing growth and encouraging business while preserving open space
and creating and preserving 19 parks and a trail system in Redmond.
She continued to be involved through the Redmond Historical Society where she
served as President for six years.
A Celebration of Life will be held on February 28, 2026, at 12:00 PM
at the Monroe Community Senior Center, 276 Sky River Pkwy, Monroe, WA 98272
Remembrances may be sent to:
Redmond Historical Society -redmondhistoricalsociety.org
Service Dogs for Veterans Bellingham, WA paveusa.org
To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Christine,
please visit our Tree Store.
Published on February 1, 2026
I have fond memories of chatting and giving hugs to Chris💕 at Redmond Historical
Society meetings. May she rest in peace. - Bob Yoder
Four EvergreenHealth administrators served on health care and economic boards in 2025
Kirkland, Wash.—Last year, four of EvergreenHealth’s administration team were invited to serve on advisory boards throughout the region. These health system leaders give their time, skills and insight to organizations involved in health care and economic development across the state.
Ettore Palazzo, MD, FACP, EvergreenHealth CEO, was elected to the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) Board of Directors effective January 2025, having previously served as the Chair of the Clinical Excellence Committee from 2023 to 2024. He also sits on the board of the Kirkland Chamber of Commerce and the Steering Committee for the Washington Department of Health Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Care.
Dr. Palazzo joined EvergreenHealth in 2003 as a hospitalist, and he held various roles before becoming CEO in December 2023. He is responsible for the leadership of all aspects of EvergreenHealth's purpose, mission and vision.
Christopher Bredeson, MBA, FACHE, Chief Operating and Strategy Officer, has been invited to sit on the boards of Washington Hospital Services (WHS), the Washington Health Alliance (WHA)—both statewide
de organizations focused on quality and value in health care delivery—and OneRedmond, a public-private economic development partnership.
Bredeson has held positions in health care leadership and community advocacy for more than three decades. In his role at EvergreenHealth, he supervises all facets of health system operations and planning.
Jessika Groce, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, Chief Human Resources Officer, was appointed to the Cascadia College Foundation Board effective July 1. The Cascadia College Foundation plays a crucial role in offering scholarships and grants to students needing financial support also backing key college initiatives. The board works to support the college’s mission of delivering accessible, equitable and superior educational experiences to inspire every person to achieve their educational and career goals.
 |
| Old Fire House Teen Center |
More than four months later a bureaucracy of Council / staff / a subcommittee / an advisory committee/ a stakeholder group / focus groups/ and 2 listening sessions still hadn't decided what to do with the Center. Total costs just for this citizen engagement and outreach was $124,600 not counting staff labor. It appears Council and staff were trying to wear out the teens from protesting in City Hall while shoe-horning them into Marymoor and the Senior & Community Center. These delays were pure nonsense ... at the expense to our youth's mental and academic health.
Last night teen participation testimony winnowed down to only three teens. All spoke against the closure. One persistently requested accountability.
In September and October 2025, a Stakeholder Group will meet six times to hear more information, including input from public focus groups. According to staff's FAQ, "City Council is expected to make a decision on whether to renovate the current structure or investigate rebuilding options by the end of 2025." And THEN the city must renovate or rebuild! This could take years.
Council and staff must stop playing games with our most vulnerable teens. The Mayor needs to move the process "fast forward."
Renovation is not an option since Parks Director Loreen Hamilton invested deeply into taxpayer's pockets for safety and engineering inspections. The building is 50-years old and renovation for safety would be expensive.
The school district rebuilds all the time, when they tear down their existing buildings and build a new, larger schools on the same parcel. The teen center's basketball courts are mostly unused, as is the deck in the winter. A rebuild could add 5-6 levels of affordable space, while allowing independent, sound-proofed teen activities in the first floor. The City owns the land; a partnership with a developer would make it feasible. Please get on with it.
Monthly Senior ENCORE Newsletter. - a must read - online or in print.
Register for Senior Center Activities and Special Events HERE ("Winter Whimsey" tickets are going fast.)
You may have seen Redmond folks wearing blue Kiwanis shirts and hats around town. Or, seen their name on the Senior Center donation plaque. They don't have a sign on the road but they are here and very active. I was once a member when the Club was founded by retired Redmond Councilmember Pat Vache'.
According to their Board, "the Redmond Kiwanis Club remains committed to serving our local community with a focus on reducing food insecurity, supporting youth programs, and engaging in outreach activities that foster connections within the area."
If you're interested in learning more about them or want to join I recommend you reach out to Nika Kahhna. Her email is: President@redmondKiwanis.org; or visit their website. Membership is $160/year, an application with BIO and informal interview is required and you need a sponsor.
Lots of comments at tonight's Council meeting on the severe cyclone wind storm.
One lady complained that the warming stations closed at 8pm. The community center closed at 8pm. There was no place to go; no plan.
Redmond AM 1650 emergency radio wasn't updated or current. (It's available only in vehicles.)
I'm a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer and saw no others during my trek outside. I had to wave a woman with her toddler away from a downed power line. She couldn't speak English.
I was shocked to hear from a reader the City discontinued the CERT program. He thought Councilmember Forsythe might know why. Over 35 - 8 week CERT classes were held, now unorganized and unrefreshed. When the next "Big One" comes our neighborhoods we will be unprepared.
NOTES ON PLYMOUTH HOUSING and SILVER CLOUD:
Plymouth Permanent Supportive Housing is expected to open late 2026. Evan Sexton, the Plymouth marketing employee said Plymouth will hold open public office hours at the Together Center the second Wednesday of each month, 11am-2pm. He said they've already had one Advisory Committee meeting.
The county's Silver Cloud permanent housing staff are looking for community volunteers for the 15 residents housed there. 12 staff members work there! Staff leaders give me the go-around when I try to help.
ELECTRIC FIRE ENGINES: Council President Kritzer prided the city about including the e-fire engine equipment on the budget. Redmond is the first city on the west coast to pay for one. It was a race with Bellevue.
CITY ISSUES $100 GIFT CARDS for select citizens participating in a 2-hour workshop on EV infrastructure and EV experiences. The workshop will be held at the Senior & Community Center where charging stations are located.
The Mayor purchased 5 new gas-powered snow plows and gave them names.
-- Bob Yoder, 12/3/24
 |
| Redmond Historical Society 25th Anniversary Celebration in the new Senior & Community Center |
President John Oftebro of the Redmond Historical Society (RHS) did a fabulous job producing, directing and emceeing the Redmond Historical Society 25th Anniversary Celebration and Social. Over 120 attended. The event was held on Saturday, October 28 at the new Redmond Senior and Community Center. John's an excellent fund-raiser and superlative jack-of-all trades.
Laura-Lee Bennett, the Executive V.P. oversaw the event. RHS Co-founder Miguel Llanos flew up from Los Angeles and gave a 30-minute interactive slide show. John Couch, Redmond's Park & Rec. Director of 30 years dressed-up as Mayor Bill Brown. Chris "Hurricane" Himes, Redmond's first Strong Mayor gave a charming, short speech. Former Mayor Rosemary Ives was on Block Island attending to her family.
Board member Deborah Oftebro assembled lead-members to work the coffee cake and cookie table: Judy Lang, Jo Ann Potter, Deb Akerstrom and a Morelli? My wife Pam and I got to sit with good friends, John Reinke, Gary Smith and Terry Lavender. John Reinke gave the entire audience a holler as he sang along.
 |
| Redmond Senior & Community Center |
25th Anniversary Celebration & Social
Redmond Senior & Community Center
Open house 3:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Program begins at 3:45
Suzanne Greathouse, a community professional who brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience, has been selected to fill the vacant Position #2 on EvergreenHealth's Board of Commissioners.
KIRKLAND, Wash. - The EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners has selected Suzanne Greathouse to serve in Position #2, representing the Kenmore/Kirkland community and all residents of King County Public Hospital District #2. Greathouse was sworn into the position on Sept. 17 and will serve through Dec. 31, 2025.
Greathouse is a dedicated community professional who brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience to support EvergreenHealth's ongoing mission to advance the health of the community.
"We are excited to have Suzanne join the Board, and we look forward to her contributions in supporting the health and well-being of our community," said Board Chair Virgil Snyder. "Like every other commissioner, Suzanne is dedicated to ensuring our community has access to high-quality, safe, compassionate and cost-effective health care."
As the CEO and Co-Founder of REPSVR, a virtual reality skills training platform, Greathouse's diverse experience spans being a business owner, educator/trainer, executive, and consultant. Throughout her career, she has developed and led multicultural and virtual teams and managed complex business environments. She is an expert at applying industry best practices and emerging research to address specific challenges, fostering success, and enhancing performance, motivation, and job satisfaction.
Greathouse's career also includes nearly 20 years at AT&T, where she led efforts in various areas, including construction and engineering, research and development, emergency preparedness/disaster recovery, network security, network operations and IT product development and support. In 2017, after experiencing a family tragedy, Greathouse shifted her focus to serving the community. She has since held roles on the Kenmore City Council, the Northshore Fire District's Board of Commissioners, the City of Kenmore Planning Commission and the Northshore Senior Center Board of Directors.
Currently, Suzanne serves as a Northshore Utility District Commissioner and actively participates in various community organizations, including the Kenmore Heritage Society, Bothell/Kenmore Chamber of Commerce, Kenmore Business Alliance, and the EvergreenHealth Foundation. She is also the founder and president of the Alex Greathouse Foundation, which provides oral cancer support and funding for treatment, research, and other essential needs.
"I am thrilled at the opportunity to join the EvergreenHealth Board of Commissioners and look forward to working with fellow members on ensuring access to the hospital system's vital services in Kirkland, Kenmore and throughout the Eastside," said Greathouse.
Posted by Bob Yoder, 9/20/2024
Comments: 1) Public Notice for the interviews of the Commission nominees was poor. Navigation on their website to find this public meeting was close to impossible. Thus, my wife and I (and others) didn't attend. BY
2) Evergreen Board has the worst notice system out of any public board and they don't do well with publishing information. They don't even record their meetings and publish minutes a month after the meetings happen. Anonymous comment 9/21/2024
